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The word impact should be used quite often when discussing Florida’s first full-cycle class under head coach Jim McElwain and his staff.
The Gators have 11 prospects set to enroll early, including multiple players at positions of need — namely three wide receivers, two quarterbacks and a top JUCO running back in Mark Thompson. Also, they have collected quite a group of defensive linemen, including Georgia pass rusher Antonneous Clayton, who has All-American type of upside and potential.
Current rank: No. 3 SEC, No. 6 Nationally (247Sports Composite rankings)
Top commit: Feleipe Franks, QB, Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla. The 6-foot-5 Franks, a U.S. Army All-American, has the tools to be a great one during his time at Florida. It’s also not out of the question that he starts to show signs of that right away as the former LSU commit is set to enroll at Florida for the current semester and will compete for the starting quarterback job during spring practice. His size and arm both are very intriguing when you project him long term in the Gators offensive system. He’s not a prospect that will necessarily be college-ready from the start, but with development and work, he can play sooner rather than later.
Sleeper: Dre Massey, WR, Holmes (Miss.) Community College. Massey, who is originally from Mauldin, S.C., was a legendary high school football player who is fast, explosive and can make things happen with the ball in his hands. The versatile prospect is an excellent addition to the Gators offense and potentially the return game who could make an impact from Day 1. Massey has a three-star rating from the recruiting industry, which isn’t bad, but there are things about him that indicate there’s a good chance he will out-play that ranking during his time in Gainesville.
Quick take: Recruiting is about filling immediate and long-term needs along with constantly upgrading from a talent standpoint at all positions. While Florida always has talent and had great talent on defense in recent seasons, some of the upgrades on that side of the ball will be determined down the road, but everywhere else, it’s a near lock that it’s trending up. As for the needs, McIlwain and staff have hit it out of the park and many of these newcomers will be counted on to help determine the plight of the 2016 Gators. That’s about as good as it gets on the recruiting trail when it really comes down to it.
Recruiting writer for Saturday Down South
